Lance Bass Claims He Was Only Given a $35 Daily Per Diem During the Height of NSYNC Fame

Lance Bass says he was given just $35 a day while *NSYNC was at the height of its fame, despite the group's huge commercial success with multi-platinum record sales and sold-out arena tours.

The singer made the claim on The Zach Sang Show, saying the money was a daily per diem rather than meaningful earnings tied to the band's success.

Bass also recalled that the group's first significant cheque was for $10,000, after what he described as two or three years of working without meaningful pay. The available account does not establish whether that amount was paid to each member or shared among the group.

'Hardly at All:' Bass on His *NSYNC Earnings

Bass, now 47, said he receives residuals from *NSYNC but described them as far from substantial. He said he does not consider himself wealthy because of the band and claimed he made 'hardly at all' from his time in the line-up.

Bass attributed the disparity between the group's commercial success and his earnings to its financial arrangements. He criticised the role of its former manager, Lou Pearlman, and the record label, although his latest comments do not independently establish how the group's revenue was distributed.

Pearlman was imprisoned in 2008 after convictions for money laundering, bankruptcy fraud and conspiracy. He died in prison in 2016. His criminal convictions do not, by themselves, establish the specific amount of money he or the record label received from *NSYNC.

The claim contrasts with the group's commercial success during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hits such as 'Bye Bye Bye' made *NSYNC a global act, while Bass pointed to merchandise as a major part of that success.

'I don't know how many millions were made off merchandise because merchandise was insane,' Bass said on the podcast, according to Page Six. His comments did not establish how much revenue merchandise generated or how the proceeds were distributed.

IBTimes UK cannot independently verify Bass's account of the band's finances. The claims rest on his recollection and public comments rather than published accounting records or court findings about the members' individual payments.

Why the Claim Still Resonates

Bass's account challenges the assumption that commercial success necessarily translates into personal wealth. He made a similar point in 2023 during an appearance on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show, saying that he and his bandmates were famous but not wealthy.

'We were famous, but we were not rich,' he said in that interview. He also said he earned considerably more after the group's hiatus than he did during its peak.

*NSYNC went on an indefinite hiatus in 2002. Bass later built a separate career in television, hosting and entertainment, and has said he is proud of what he achieved after the band.

The group achieved substantial commercial success, while Bass says his personal earnings did not reflect its popularity. That distinction is central to his account, though it remains his personal recollection rather than an independently verified financial record.

How Bass Views It Today

Asked whether he still feels resentment, Bass said he does not, though he admitted he felt cheated at the time. He recalled being told the members were young and had time to build their futures.

His response, as reported, was blunt. Being young did not solve the problem of needing to earn a living or prepare for life after a career that could end suddenly.

Bass also acknowledged the positive side of the experience. He said the group had a strong support system and that being in *NSYNC kept him grounded during an extraordinary period of fame.

His account adds another first-hand perspective to a long-running conversation about pop stardom, management and who ultimately profits when a band becomes a brand. The precise financial arrangements behind *NSYNC's earnings remain unverified by the evidence reviewed here.